NDIS Social and Community Participation Funding: What Does It Cover?

NDIS Social and Community Participation funding helps eligible participants access the disability-related support they need to take part in everyday community life.

This might mean having a Support Worker assist you with shopping, attending a social group, joining recreational activities or getting involved in your local community.

However, not all community participation supports are funded in the same way. The NDIS distinguishes between assistance with community participation and supports designed to build your skills and independence.

Understanding the difference can help you work out which supports may be covered by your NDIS plan.

Core Supports vs Capacity Building: What's the Difference?

The NDIS can fund different types of support to help participants take part in social and community activities.

Two commonly discussed funding categories are:

1. Assistance with Social, Economic and Community Participation (Core Supports)

This generally covers disability-related assistance that helps participants access and participate in community, social and recreational activities.

For example, a Support Worker may help a participant attend a community event, communicate with others, travel to an activity or participate safely.

2. Increased Social and Community Participation (Capacity Building)

This focuses on developing skills and confidence to participate more independently in community and social activities.

Depending on the participant's plan and the relevant support item, this may include structured skill development or training designed to build independence.

The key difference: Core Supports generally help you participate in activities, while Capacity Building focuses on developing the skills needed for greater independence.

The funding available to you depends on your individual NDIS plan and the applicable funding rules.

What Can Social, Economic and Community Participation Support Look Like?

Social and community participation funding can be used for disability-related support that helps you take part in everyday community, social and recreational activities. This may include a support worker helping you participate in an activity, interact with other people, or do things that you would otherwise find difficult because of your disability.

The following examples mainly relate to practical assistance with social and community participation under Core Supports.

• going shopping

• visiting the local library

• attending a community event or local group

• joining a hobby or craft activity

• receiving disability-related assistance to access swimming, gym sessions or other recreational activities

• meeting friends or taking part in other social activities

• attending recreational activities

• volunteering or gaining work experience

  
  

The type of support needed can look very different from one participant to another. One person may only need help getting to an activity and settling in, while another may need support throughout the activity with communication, mobility, personal care or staying safe.

This is why the activity itself is only part of the picture. What matters is the additional support you need because of your disability to take part.

So, for example, if your disability means you cannot safely go swimming on your own, funding may be available for a support worker to help you access the pool and participate. It is not simply funding for a day out.

It Can Also Be About Building Independence

For some participants, part of the purpose is to build the confidence and skills to do more independently over time. The NDIS specifically recognises increasing independence as part of social and community participation supports.

Take grocery shopping as a simple example.

A participant may initially need a support worker to help plan the trip, travel to the shops, find what they need, communicate with staff and complete their shopping.

As their confidence and skills develop, the level of help they need may change.

The same idea can apply to social activities. Someone who feels overwhelmed in unfamiliar social settings may initially need more support to join a local group, communicate with others and become familiar with the environment. Over time, they may become more comfortable participating with less assistance.

That is very different from simply saying, “a support worker takes me shopping”. The support has a purpose: helping the participant take part in ordinary community life in a way that is safe, meaningful and as independent as possible.

What Community Participation Support Can Look Like

One participant might start with a fairly simple weekly routine — going to the shops, having lunch out and perhaps stopping somewhere they enjoy along the way.

But those few hours can serve a much bigger purpose. The participant is making choices about where to go, interacting with people in the community, managing purchases and gradually becoming more confident outside the home.

Another participant may have completely different goals and use their support to attend exercise, a social group or another regular community activity.

Does the NDIS Pay for the Activity Itself?

A simple way to think about it is that the NDIS may fund the extra support you need because of your disability to take part in an activity, but not the ordinary cost of the activity itself.

For example, if you need a support worker to help you participate at the gym, the disability-related support may be funded, but the gym membership would normally be your own expense.

Similarly, if you need support to attend a recreational outing, such as going to the movies, the support worker may be funded, while you would normally pay for your own ticket or entry fee.

What the NDIS may fund will always depend on your disability-related support needs, your individual plan and the NDIS funding rules.

In most cases, the NDIS funds eligible disability-related support rather than ordinary personal expenses such as meals, admission tickets or standard activity fees.

Transport and other associated costs may have separate funding arrangements, so it's important to check your plan and the applicable NDIS rules before booking an activity.

What About Transport to Community Activities?

Transport is another cost to consider when planning community participation.

Depending on your NDIS plan and the type of support, funding arrangements may differ for a Support Worker assisting you during travel, a provider transporting you in a vehicle, or transport costs paid separately.

These costs are not automatically covered simply because an activity is NDIS-related.

Before arranging transport, check what your plan covers and confirm any additional charges with your provider.

Looking for NDIS Community Participation Support in Sydney?

Joystep provides personalised Support Worker services across Greater Sydney, helping NDIS participants access community activities, attend appointments and take part in everyday social life.

We aim to match participants with suitable Support Workers based on their support needs, location, language and personal preferences.

Our multilingual Support Workers speak English, Mandarin, Cantonese, Vietnamese and Malay.

Contact Joystep to discuss your community participation needs and available support options.